South Asian professionals forsake West for Gulf jobs

Middle East's "answer to Singapore and Hong Kong" attracts ambitious graduates.

Ravi Bhusari watches a game of ultimate frisbee game at Metropolitan Hotel in Sheikh Zayed road in Dubai.

ABU DHABI // Ambitious young South Asian professionals used to build their careers in the West but are increasingly choosing the UAE and other countries in the Gulf. With US markets looking bleak, earning a tax-free pay cheque a short plane ride from the subcontinent is more attractive to them than ever before. Ravi Bhusari, a 29-year-old entrepreneur, is a typical case, having relocated from Canada to set up businesses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. He represents the current generation of well-heeled South Asians who hold degrees from prestigious universities, are fluent in several languages and ooze the business savvy that flourishes in the West. Mr Bhusari, who has an Indian father and Canadian mother, moved from Saudi Arabia with his family to Montreal, before graduating with an MBA from the Rotman School of Business, Toronto. His fascination with the Gulf was reignited during a property development course about the Middle East. He moved to the UAE in 2006 and launched a sport-based social-networking business. The long-term plan was to head back to North America but he now sees his future here. "During my father's time, they wouldn't hire here unless you had 20 years' experience," he said. "It's no longer just a case of hiring older professionals. Now they need to find young, dynamic skilled workers and analysts." In the meantime, Mr Bhusari hopes the booming Dubai and Abu Dhabi markets will help his business ventures thrive. "Dubai should be super attractive because it's the only market that is able to pay and make it worthwhile. Other places like Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Riyadh also pay well enough to justify moving away from family, and it all helps pay off tuition loans." Sunil Khilnani, director of South Asia studies at Johns Hopkins University, in Washington DC, said Abu Dhabi and Dubai were the Middle East's answer to Singapore and Hong Kong. "Places like Singapore attract a similar crowd of young people who want to make money and turn their international experience - in banking or property - into résumé gold. Obviously in the short term, with the current climate, people are looking for jobs anywhere. And this part of the world is in an expansionist mood. That is attracting people. "But beyond that, there is a sign of a deeper shift in the gravity of economic dynamism. Where New York and London have always dominated, we are now seeing the rise of Asia, not just in manufacturing but also in financial networks. And the Gulf is well situated between these two worlds. "People are taking a bet that Dubai and Abu Dhabi will become real centres, like Hong Kong and Singapore." With the Gulf now offering the comforts of a western lifestyle and the promise that young professionals can quickly distinguish themselves, many South Asians are being drawn to the region. Neema Jain, 23, a senior analyst with Mashreq, the UAE investment banking giant, went abroad to study but always knew she would return to Dubai. "When I graduated from high school in 2002, there weren't many colleges out here that provided a competitive experience or the sort of global exposure that US colleges offer," she said. She studied at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, but Dubai drew her back. She loves the way of life, not least because you can hire a cook and cleaner. "It is community-intensive here while in the US it's more individual." Aaditya Tangri, 23, and Mr Mezba Mahtab, 27, both moved to Canada from the UAE with their families when they were in high school. Mr Tangri came back last year and Mr Mahtab is hoping to do the same. Mr Mahtab would like to stay in Dubai for five years, "make lots of money, save as much as I can and then move back again". He is not put off by the hot weather and finds the intrinsic Muslim culture that flourishes in the cities most attractive. "In Dubai, when everyone is fasting during Ramadan, you don't feel out of place." Mr Tangri could not stop thinking about Dubai when he was looking for jobs in the Toronto property market. "The kind of development you see in Dubai, you can only dream of in Toronto," he said. "In Dubai, 30 per cent is considered normal for a business's profit but in Toronto, 10 per cent is considered excellent." He now works for a Dubai-based industrial property company and is in charge of the sale of mills. Apart from the obvious attractions - the lifestyle, the tax-free income, safe environment, and the promise of promotion - Mr Tangri likes the fact that the UAE is close to other financial markets such Mumbai, London, Hong Kong and Singapore. He points out that while recession is looming in the US, and Canada's growth rate is only three to four per cent, the UAE and India are growing at seven to nine per cent. Asked how long he would like to stay in Dubai, he replied: "It is as good as anybody's guess. I have no plans to move." [e-mail]